Witkoff, Kushner visit USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in Arabian sea amid tensions with Iran

WASHINGTON – 7 February 2026: US President Donald Trump’s senior Iran negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, the US military said.

The visit comes amid Washington’s tensions with Tehran over the Iranian nuclear file. US President Donald Trump has reiterated threats to strike Iran unless it agrees to negotiate a new nuclear deal, while Tehran has warned it would retaliate against any attack.

The visit also comes a day after Iran and the US held indirect talks in Oman, which were described by Trump as “very good.”

During his visit, Witkoff described the carrier and its strike group as “keeping us safe and upholding President Trump’s message of peace through strength.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he hopes talks with Washington will resume soon, while reaffirming Tehran’s red lines and warning against any US military action.

The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January as increased US military deployments in the Middle East have prompted regional partners, including Egypt, to race against time to avert a potential military confrontation that risks plunging the region into war.